As the temperature continues to climb and hockey news dwindles, it is a perfect time to answer readers’ questions. These questions were submitted to the author via social media, and some have been edited for clarity/context but not to materially alter the question.
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Here are a few general answers for Devils fans. Dawson Mercer remains unsigned, but as a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, there isn’t any fast-approaching deadline that would lead either party to act. Yes, Mercer will be in the Devils’ lineup come October in Prague; the only question is whether he will be playing for his qualifying offer, a bridge deal, or locked up long-term. The Devils are in a good place; general manager Tom Fitzgerald has checked off much of his punch list and has a team he seems happy to begin camp with. He also has enough cap space to sign his restricted free agents and still accrue space during the season, allowing him to add as needed.
Here are your questions and my answers:
How Would You Rate This Current Devils Roster as Compared to Last Season’s Roster at This Point? Have the Devils Improved, Regressed or Is It the Old Status Quo? – @MRED315
At this point in the summer, the team is much more balanced than last year. Coming off of a huge series win over the New York Rangers and a record-setting regular season, Fitzgerald chose to roll the dice with his goaltending and came up snake-eyes. He failed to address the need to be able to play multiple styles with his forward group and never adequately replaced the experience he lost on defense. All that being said, if Nico Hischier, Dougie Hamilton, Jack Hughes, and Timo Meier hadn’t missed 106 combined games, they would have cruised to a playoff spot despite their goaltending.
Last offseason was about maintaining the status quo by extending Meier and Jesper Bratt and filling in around the edges with players like Colin Miller and Tyler Toffoli. Unfortunately, even if the edges held, the middle collapsed. Unlike the year before, the Devils did not storm out of the gate, winning 13 straight, and several players who had experienced career years either were gone or regressed. Fans should be excited about Fitzgerald’s additions through free agency and the Alexander Holtz trade. The team has now provided sufficiently experienced and talented defensive personnel to allow their future phenoms in Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec to incubate without costing the team results. Add in the goalie with the best high-danger save percentage in the NHL and, two versatile forwards who were born to play in new head coach Sheldon Keefe’s system and there is a lot to look forward to for New Jersey.
This is the first team in the Fitzgerald era built from the crease outward. Another way to look at it is that Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, and Jacob Markstrom are significant upgrades over the players they replaced in John Marino, Kevin Bahl, and Vitek Vanecek. The added depth of Tomas Tatar, Stefan Noesen, and Paul Cotter make the forward group deep enough that players like Kurtis MacDermid, Nolan Foote, and Brian Halonen are now your 13th – 15th forwards rather than middle and bottom six players. This also pushes players like Max Willman and Shane Bowers further down the depth chart which will only strengthen the team.
I’m Not a Fan of Having 2 PP Units. That Being Said, How Would They Integrate Hamilton and Luke Hughes on a PP? Considering They Won’t Remove Hughes – Hamilton Is a Must on PP1, IMO. – @RMAZZ6
It is difficult to imagine a team with only one power play unit. One also has to imagine that Keefe and his staff will try to breathe new life into the power play and see if they can find the mojo the unit experienced early on in 2023-24 when the team led the league in power play percentage. I’ve written about it previously, and with the lack of a true right-hand shot sniper on the power play, one can envision a scenario where the Devils could deploy a unit with Hamilton and Hughes where Luke walks the blue line and distributes and Hamilton becomes the trigger man at the left dot. Is that likely? Probably not, but it is certainly a possibility. Another fun wrinkle could be playing Hughes and Nemec together on the second power play unit.
The steep decline of the power play last season was not coincidentally tied to the loss of Hamilton on the blue line. He is easily one of the top five power play point players in the NHL. His knack for finding lanes to get pucks through to the net or for deflections at the net front is extremely valuable, especially when teams look to clog the passing lanes for Hughes, Bratt, Hischier, and Meier. Hamilton should get the first crack at PP1 on the point, it is the reason he is the highest-paid Devil. The acquisition of Noesen should also help on the power play as his right-hand shot is a weapon they did not possess once Toffoli was traded. With Carolina, Noesen scored ten power play goals over the last two seasons and could anchor a strong second unit.
All 12 of the Devils’ likely starters at forward on opening night have scored a power-play goal in their career. New acquisition Paul Cotter scored two last season with the Vegas Golden Knights. Keefe and his staff will have the ability to mix and match units to find and exploit advantages and provide rest to players like Erik Haula and Ondrej Palat rather than use them on both special teams. An early look at the units could be PP1: Hamilton, J. Hughes, Hischier, Meier, Bratt; PP2: L. Hughes, Mercer, Noesen, Cotter, Tatar.
What Is the Opening Day Lineup? – @Attaboyle
It has taken a lot for me to not simply write, “The opening day lineup is the group of players dressed for the first game.” That would of course not be a nice response to a faithful reader, so I digress.
It does not appear that Fitzgerald is seeking to make any seismic moves prior to training camp so as for the roster, right now it looks like once the restricted free agents either accept their qualifying offers or sign longer-term deals, the roster is set. There is uncertainty with the line combinations, especially before Keefe has a chance to install his system and the players have an opportunity to see who plays well together. Despite that, Meier will likely be paired with Hischier, it also makes sense that Noesen, who has an underrated shot, is deployed with Hughes as both protection and a potential finisher. Bratt and Mercer are interchangeable. Mercer played well with Hischier previously and Bratt and Hughes are like peanut butter and jelly, so who would break that up? It would also split up Noesen and Mercer, the two main right hand shots. With that in mind, here is a look at how the team will line up before puck drop in Prague.
- Meier – Hischier – Mercer
- Noesen – Hughes – Bratt
- Palat – Haula – Tatar
- Cotter – Lazar – Bastian
- Siegenthaler – Hamilton
- Hughes – Pesce
- Dillon – Nemec
- Markstrom
Do You Really Think This Top 6 Is Complete? What if One of Them Gets Injured Again? – @Devschik
As Fitzgerald said in his press conference, no team has six top-six players. The Devils have as many as anyone. What is different this season is that they have more and better complementary players who can play anywhere in the top nine which should allow for them to deal with injuries. Certainly, if they lose Hamilton, Hughes, Hischier, and Meier for extended periods of time there aren’t many answers but with the constraints of the salary cap and what was available, this is a fairly complete top six. With Hischier, Hughes, Bratt, and Meier as the foundation pieces, they also have at least five other players who can comfortably play in roles with those players: Haula, Palat, Mercer, Noesen, and Tatar. There is also the possibility that Cotter could play some minutes in the middle six if he continues to improve. Also important is that they still have significant trade assets and cap space should they need to add down the road.
The Devils Have High Expectations Placed on Them Again for This Season. Do You Think They Will Live up to the Hype? – @Devschik
There was a stark contrast between the breakup days of the 2022-23 season and the 2023-24 season. This past season the players seemed equally bewildered and angry. If they use that anger to fuel their offseason and preparation, there is no reason they cannot live up to the hype. The talent is undeniable, they now have the depth and have plugged the holes in their own zone. They should both allow significantly fewer goals and score more goals.
The big X factor is Keefe. He has won at every level he has coached. He is known for his energy and tactical ability and is an underrated motivator. He does like to tinker and Fitzgerald has given him a lineup with a ton of versatility and interchangeability. If this team is not back in the playoffs, it would be a tremendous disappointment.
Do Either Hatakka, Casey, Stillman or Edwards Get a Cup of Coffee This Year? If Not Them, Which Prospect Cracks the Lineup? – @nj666infl
Of the four you mentioned, Santeri Hatakka is the most likely to get legitimate playing time in the NHL. Currently, he is looked at as the first defenseman to be called up should there be a need on the left side. Without any injuries, it is difficult to see any of those players getting any significant time. It doesn’t make sense for New Jersey to burn a year of Seamus Casey or Chase Stillman’s entry-level contracts unless they are absolutely needed. Casey will need to adjust to the grind of playing against older players and playing almost twice as many games as he did at Michigan. Stillman similarly needs to advance his game and appears to be behind Foote and Halonen. There really isn’t a spot for a prospect to crack the lineup this season unless you consider Mercer a prospect. It is likely that at one point Foote and Halonen will get an opportunity to play bottom-six minutes on a line with talented veterans. Both play heavy games and can score and are starting to age out of the prospect category.
With the Devils Needing to Re-Sign RFAs for Their NHL Roster, Dawson Mercer and Nolan Foote, Do You See the Team Moving Out a Contract to Make Room? Currently the Devils Would Have 24 Players on the NHL Squad With Everyone (Re-)Signed. I’m Wondering if the Team Trades Bastian. – @Littlestofmen
Per Puckpedia, the Devils still have $4.98 million in cap space, which should be more than enough to sign the restricted free agents and still have room to accrue space during the season for the deadline. The only contract that makes sense to move would be Bastian and would clear $1.3 million of cap space. The only way that it really makes sense would be to trade for a 4C and move Lazar back to the wing. Otherwise, keeping Bastian who brings size, speed, grit, and an infectious energy likely makes the most sense.
When Is the NHL Trade Deadline Going to Be for the 2024-25 Season?
March 6, 2025
Ok, Crystal Ball Time…Is Brady Tkachuk a Future Devil? – @Mikecfromnj
Not anytime soon. If you want an optimistic scenario, it would be that the Ottawa Senators again take a step backward and do not make the playoffs or improve despite adding Linus Ullmark. If that happens and they sell Ullmark, Claude Giroux, and others at the deadline perhaps then Brady Tkachuk asks out of Ottawa.
At that point, he will have played seven seasons without making the playoffs and be turning 26 before the next season. It’s also important to keep in mind that Tkachuk’s no-movement clause kicks in on July 1, 2025, which would remove much of the leverage that Ottawa has. If this season becomes a disaster, the upcoming trade deadline may be the time they could get the most for him.
Thank you to everyone who submitted questions. We will do this again soon.
